Once again Super Heroes & Comic-Con return to San Diego

Comic Con San Diego keeps getting bigger and bigger and the Super Heroes keep doing super things for San Diego’s economy. All photos by Jim Wyatt

From Wednesday’s preview through Sunday’s final day, there have been tens of thousands of comic book, video game, and fantasy movie fans visiting our fair city to have their annual conclave at the San Diego Convention Center. Among this group are people, who for one week a year, fantasize they have become the super hero of their dreams. From their dress, with added padding, to the spot on mannerisms, they become the most astute character actors you’ll ever see.

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My guess is when you hobnob with celebrities, you get the same swagger by osmosis. After all, Sylvester Stallone, former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lucy Liu, Mila Kunis, etc. were all in attendance and mingling with these A-listers must rub off on the wannabes who suddenly become A-lister themselves, at least for a week.

Just as Las Vegas hosts the Elvis impersonators, San Diego does Vegas one better by hosting the planet’s entire cast of Super Heroes, from the Man of Steel, Incredible Hulk, Wonder Woman, Iron Man; it’s a very long list. While some ingrates might poke fun at this assembly and run them down and call them geeks, they sure love the dinero they bring to our city. And how can you fault people who are so giving, so warm and friendly.

Besides the toys, comics, artwork, movie roll-outs, costume contests, video game introductions, Comic Con has added a new wrinkle this year. This freakish group of walking dead were set loose inside Petco Park to hunt down converts and drink their blood. Brave souls are paying $70 for the privilege of trying to outfox this gang of blood thirsty zombies.

Fantasy meets reality

After spending so much time around local boxers and mixed martial artists, I couldn’t help but imagine what would happened if one of these costumed individuals were to get abrasive with the real thing, a local fighter, someone like War Machine or one of the Nogueira brothers. I recommend the walking dead make an about face. Clark Kent better keep his glasses on and stay out of the telephone booth. After one punch, Agua Man would be cooing like Sponge Bob.

Mixed martial artists and boxers know the difference between wishing and hoping, and doing. They’ve made that make-believe world come true. They know what it takes to become rock hard and maintain their six-pack. Simply put, they know it’s all about putting in the long hours at the gym.

So what is the distinction? The movie characters need to have some superhuman power or powers in order to fight the bad guys. But the basic distinction is flawed. Superman is an alien, he’s not human. Batman doesn’t have any super powers, he’s a self-made superhero. Can a superhero be anyone (human or not) that fights bad guys and is superior to your normal hero? What about the need for a costume or having an alter ego? That’s always been essential for superheroes.

At this time, the interest in super heroes has never been as high-charged, as paramount. Last week, The Avengers movie posted the biggest numbers ever for a domestic opening weekend with $207.4 million in box office receipts and an estimated worldwide gross of $654.8 million. The Amazing Spiderman and The Dark Knight Rises which follow are expected tocontinue this trend ofbreaking the box office records.

What is it with the resurgence of superhero flicks? Is America in need of superheroes? Or do we just thoroughly enjoy an action-packed fantastical escape from reality? Are we seeing more and more people trying to attain the superhero’s body?

I believe the answer is yes. We certainly have a ton more boxing and MMA gyms than we ever did. Twenty-five years ago, there were six such gyms in all of San Diego County and now we have over seventy.

There used to be a group of civilian crime fighters by the name of the Guardian Angels in town, but with so many athletes involved in the fighting sports and San Diego being the largest Military Complex in the world, it appears crime fighting has become a dormant issue. So, God Bless these Super Heroes. May they multiply and fill the earth, and visit our fair city for years to come.